Although Jasmine McBride* worked hard to provide for her four kids by taking on various jobs, including food delivery and braiding hair, she still struggled to make ends meet. Ms. McBride was ready to take the next step in her career, but employers hesitated to hire her because of her past criminal records. Ready to [...]
With the nation's sixth-largest population of veterans, many of our nation's heroes call the Buckeye State home. Ohio's veterans can resolve civil legal challenges through legal aid to ensure access to safe housing, improved family stability, and increased financial security. The access to justice community works together to help veterans access civil legal help and [...]
Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Eve Stratton is many things: a lauded jurist, an accomplished attorney, a tireless advocate for Ohioans suffering from mental health issues, a supporter of Ohio’s veterans, and perhaps most crucially, a connector of people. Since stepping down from the Ohio Supreme Court in 2012, Justice Stratton’s ability to unite disparate [...]
Asian Services in Action (ASIA) is a health and human services agency serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Northeast Ohio. Established in 1995 by four Chinese women who recognized the need for resources and support within their community, ASIA has grown into a central hub for enhancing the quality of life [...]
Justice for All Fellows are new attorneys funded by the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation to develop and execute two-year projects to address urgent legal problems facing everyday Ohioans. The Foundation is excited to welcome four new attorneys to the Justice for All Fellowship program, all of whom began their fellowships this fall. Brandon Burkey [...]
Each year, when the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation compiles the Pro Bono Survey results in collaboration with the Supreme Court of Ohio, several individuals and firms stand out as the top pro bono contributors. In 2023, Squire Patton Boggs emerged as one of the leading firms in pro bono service. When asked about the [...]
The Foundation is proud to partner with the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) to provide grant opportunities to Ohio’s legal aid organizations to support critical family legal services. AAML, an organization dedicated to family law and a long-time supporter of legal aid, has committed $120,000 to the Foundation to support [...]
When Foundation board member Bill Dowling was a young attorney at Squire, Sanders, and Dempsey in Cleveland, he signed up for a program that had a profound effect on his career. Dowling worked for the westside office of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland for a month under then-director Tom Weeks, an experience that would [...]
A partnership between the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation and the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Unclaimed Funds has generated millions of dollars to support civil legal aid and access to justice. With the Nov. 1 deadline to report unclaimed funds to the Division of Unclaimed Funds approaching, attorneys should be aware of the [...]
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, thousands of Ukrainians have sought safety and security in the United States. The Foundation’s Ukrainian Legal Services Grant Program is helping to meet the unique civil legal needs of Ukrainians seeking a new life in Ohio. After a terrifying escape from Mariupol, Ukraine, during the Russian occupation, Klara [...]
